Under pressure, Bolsonaro changes his mind on the response to the pandemic

President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, under increasing pressure from his allies amid a devastating coronavirus pandemic, changed the language on vaccines by seeking to build bridges with Congress, superior court judges and governors.

Wednesday, the Brazilian president received a dozen officials at the presidential palace, including leaders of the Chamber of Deputies, Senate and High Court, to discuss a unified pandemic response. In a nationwide televised speech the night before, he showed a your most conciliatory, avoided criticism of confinements and promised a mass vaccination campaign to “quickly resume our normal life”.

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“We had a very fruitful meeting with all the leaders of the republic,” Bolsonaro told reporters after Wednesday’s meeting. “More than harmony, there was solidarity and the desire to minimize the effects of the pandemic ”.

Even if it’s not sincere This is a significant change in tone for a president who has harshly criticized local authorities. for imposing trade restrictions and repeatedly questioning vaccines and delaying the purchase of doses. The move follows growing pressure from the business community and powerful congressional allies, who have made it clear that they are increasingly concerned about the president’s handling of the crisis.

About 300,000 Brazilians have died from the coronavirus since its outbreak a year ago. With a slow vaccination campaign which so far has only immunized 6% of the population with a single dose, the virus continues unchecked across the country, crushing their health care system and hampering their economic recovery.

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Under pressure

The president of the lower house, Arthur Lirasaid earlier this week that will not go ahead with pro-business reforms until the government does a better job of controlling the pandemic. He told local media that it is “humanly impossible” to discuss long-term reforms “when we don’t know what tomorrow will be”.

Criticism also came from another ally, the President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco. Without naming Bolsonaro, the senator said that minimizing the pandemic is a “horrible medieval joke” and, at a trade event, approved restrictions on trade, bars and restaurants.